171 



and branched: the stems a foot or eighteen inches high, decumbent 

 at bottom, jointed and branched: the leaves are glaucous, smooth, 

 linear, a line in breadth: every branch is terminated by one, two, or 

 three flowers. These flowers, in the improved garden plant, have a 

 spicy odour. 



There are both single and double varieties, with reddish flowers ? 

 with variegated red and white flowers, with variegated red, white, 

 and purple flowers, with variegated red, scarlet, purple, and white 

 flowers, and with variegated red or purple above and white under- 

 neath. 



The Carnations are distinguished by modern florists, from the 

 difference of variegation, into four classes: as Flakes, having two 

 colours only, and their stripes large, going quite through the leaves. 

 Bizarres, with flowers striped or variegated with three or four different 

 colours, in irregular spots and stripes. Piquettes, having a white 

 ground, spotted or pounced with scarlet, red, purple, or other colours. 

 Painted Ladies, with the petals of a red or purple colour on the upper 

 side, and entirely white underneath. 



Each of these classes have numerous sub-varieties, especially the 

 third, which was formerly in most esteem with florists; but of late 

 years the Flakes have been in greater request. It is useless however 

 'to enumerate their sub-varieties, as they are not by any means per- 

 manent. 



The properties of a good Carnation are thus stated by florists: 

 The stem of the flower should be straight, strong, and able to sup- 

 port the weight of the flower without hanging down: the flower at 

 least not less than from thirty to forty-five inches high: the petals 

 well formed, long, broad, stiff, and pretty easy to expand, or, as the 

 florists term it, make free flowers, being neither too close nor too thin; 

 the middle of the flower not advanced too high above the other parts; 

 the colours bright, and equally marked all over the flower: the flower 

 very full of petals, so as to render it, when blown, very thick in the 

 middle, with the outside perfectly round. And Martyn adds, " that 

 the lower or outer circle of petals, commonly called the guard leaves, 

 should be particularly substantial; should rise perpendicularly about 



